Transfer fee for us then

Another season of spending little, after the profit over the past three years made on the player sales, means the club should be very cash rich by now.

I look forward to seeing the end of year accounts that should back this up.

What profit over the past three years?
BTW Wigan have shelled out a fair sized transfer fee for Sam T, that should show itself in the accounts.

We paid back a third of what we originally received for him didn't we?

No no no! This won't do! Any more of this talking sense business and you'll cop a ban.

I know you don't like Wane but as a fully paid up member of the brigade I think he's earned the right to make a few mistakes. As long as we are challenging I'll be happy with him. As a fan if you're not happy being in second place then I guess you would need to find a coach who will get us to first and then keep us there throughout his contract.

Could Wane do better? Of course he could. But this continued criticism of him does you no favours. How will you react when we win the Grand Final? I'm guessing it'll be a bittersweet situation for you.

You're right on your last point it would be bittersweet, just like it was when we beat Wire in 2013. Winning the final was great but there was a slightly hollow feeling when you looked at the season as a whole and some of the performances.

On the other hand 2010 was an almost perfect year. We dominated the league from round 1, playing an unflinching, brutal and consostent brand of rugby. The side had top imports/signings like Paddy (MOS), Deacon, Gleeson but also a good number of academy lads like Sam, HH, Joel (I.e it had a nice balance to it).

We ended up top of the league after the weekly rounds and bagged a classy/ dominant GF victory. Yes we lost in the CC but it was on the last play of a rain soaked day vs what was the most dominant side of the last 10 years. I can take a hard fought loss like that as it happens to every team and you are always proud of the effort the lads put in. Can't say the same for our recent CC defeats vs Cas or Hull KR.

FWIW I don't think I'm asking for much. I want to see a consistent side that has a number of Wigan lads and also a number of quality imports in there to boot. I then want to see this side go hard every week just like we did in 2010 and just like Leeds have done this season. You do that and trophies take care of themselves imo.

What I don't want is a Jykell and Hyde type of side that's missing a bit of class previously provided by our imports.

I'm in complete agreement about what you want. Our deficiencies this season are clear, but I don't believe that blaming the coach is the only answer. Sometimes you just have to accept that life isn't perfect and make the most of it. We are second despite our problems. We have a chance of glory. If we were sixth like Wire I'd feel differently. But let's not overreact just yet.

I'd be a lot happier if I thought things might change!

We've had plenty of opportunities to correct the deficiencies by bringing in a small number of proven reinforcements but it doesn't look like lessons have been learnt.

12 months ago Wane talks about young lads maturing and singles out a guy like Crosby who has since been a major underperformer. Does that not set alarm bells ringing that he's putting to much faith in our academy?

Has he not seen the negative impact having zero centre depth has had on the side? It's killed Joel's form and it's further weakened what is already a soft pack.

I'm a fully fledged pessimist when it comes to Wane as I honestly think he's too stubborn to change.

We could always replace him with Agent Cunningham?

Snap. Exactly how I feel.

You could almost understand it if we were able to retain players like Leeds have managed to so the team matured together but we can't which in itself is a concern.

If we have no new players coming in, not only are we again failing to capitalise on an opportunity again to be comfortably the dominant force in the league, we are also risking the development of our younger players by chucking them in effort they are ready. Gildart for example if we don't sign anyone could be relyed on for long parts of next year if we pick up 1 injury in either centre or wing position which to be fair is highly likely.

We at least need 2 players a Prop and a wing/centre. At least.

Think Tierney will cover the wings and next season, Hampshire cover HB and Gildart will probably (as you say) will probably be thrust into the centres as cover, but is that a bad thing? I don't think so. We have 3 quick and intelligent players there, they have to be bred in at some point. I think Waney will make another signing (prop) and that will probably be that but overall I think that will be enough with Sam T coming back. He is like having a FB, HB, Hooker all rolled into one on the same pitch. I do think we need cover at centre but if Gildart is ready then he must be. I must admit I haven't seen him much but from what I read a lot of you are impressed. We have just started picking up at the business end of the season and its all to play for. Let's just concentrate on what's to come for now

How many teams have an experienced centre as cover? Leeds use Ablett, Saints use Jones, Wire use Ben Currie etc.

Having just read this thread, it's full of peaks of reason (e.g. Wigan are second) v's the depths of depression with "Wigan are not the team I knew"... Depressingly this sums up the debate for most of the forum.

The game I watch today is a robotic shadow of what I used to watch in terms of entertainment. However, the fitness levels are way beyond what I used to see (and play) and the laws of the game have been interpreted to a science. The interesting characters, moderated to non-entities.

BUT, I look at where Wigan are, second in the league. Out of the Challenge Cup. A few games away from the end of the season and a really healthy chance at the GF.

This forum describes a team who are not good enough... How do we measure past teams? By the record books? It seems Wane hasn't done too badly here.

How do we rate our entertainment every week? By what's on the pitch in front of us. The game has changed. Wigan have evolved to be pretty good at it, but not what the Wigan fans (and I suspect many of the watching fans) want to watch.

The sport needs to scream about it's god-like human beings playing the game, pinnacle of fitness with strength of character to get there and keep playing the game despite injury. There's no point in the echo chamber of the RFL, scream from the rooftops and just hope that we can attract spectators to this wonderful game despite the clinical game of today. BUT we also need to allow the characters to shine and less structured play to break free.

An interesting and balanced post

It's every generations prerogative to bemoan the lack of characters in the game. But I'd say that any team with Sam Tomkins and Gelling in it would fulfil that criterion. And recently we've had Feka, Hock, Piggy Riddell and Martin Gleeson. I believe there's still room for the characters in today's game (Danny Brough and Rangi Chase off the top of my head).